Stop Ignoring the Marriage Premium

Or start ignoring the education one

People have no problem recommending higher education based on the earnings premium. In the US, the college premium (extra average earnings that a graduate can expect to earn) is 34%. However, the marriage premium is even higher: 44%. Yet, if anything, there is a modern attack on traditional family norms. We accept the different ways people want to live their lives regarding relationships but insist that children attend a university if they wish to be successful. Governments regularly subsidise education, while a proposal to do the same for marriage is anathema to liberal populations. Arguably, the American government heavily funds education because of its positive externalities - the benefit it has to the nation. While I could take issue with the assumption that higher education benefits the country, I'll instead point out that we are talking about the private return of either marriage or education. Also, marriage's positive externalities are abundantly clear and less debatable.